Monday, 28 April 2014

Yoga Lineage

Yoga in the world today is often described as 'the yoga tree'. At the centre is the trunk, the solid core and tradition of yoga. It's roots stem deep into the ancient earth with its ancient philosophy and wisdom. Thick branches stem from the trunk, leading to thinner branches, twigs and leaves. Some of them intertwine and grow together. Others grow in completely different directions. That is why we have everything from devout practitioners retreating to meditate for months in remote caves to flashy, trendy yoga practiced to a background of hip hop and pop music.

Yoga Lineage flow chart Here is a great visual description of yoga lineages. It helps to have a picture of where your yoga is coming from, and which branch of the yoga tree you're sitting on.

Here is another great link. Krishnamacharya's Legacy is a fantastic article by Fernando Pages Ruiz, published in yoga journal. In fact, www.yogajournal.com is an amazing yoga resource and has hundreds of good quality articles to help deepen your understanding of yoga practice and philosophy. It is one of my favourite resources.

1 comment:

Hi Gayatri,Good to see your blog up and running. This post and links were an interesting read and has sparked my interest in the idea of lineage. Its interesting to think that what we are learning is part of such a long tradition.

The GayatriYoga blog looks set to be an interesting addition to what is possible through the more traditional class style delivery.

Pic of Gayatri

CURRENT CLASSES

MIRBOO NORTH

Beginners: 6-7.15pm

The beginners class is suitable for all ages (15+) and levels of fitness. Pregnant students are more than welcome. This class includes breathing techniques (Pranayama), achievable postures (Asana), Deep Relaxation (Yoga Nidra) and a variety of Meditation techniques.

During this term the focus is on deepening self awareness and and exploring the pranic or energy body via the chakra system.

Intermediate: 7.30-9pm

The Intermediate class allows students to further develop their practice and to try more challenging asana and to expand their pranayama practice. This class also includes a variety of meditation techniques and some deep relaxation practices.

The current theme continues to explore the energy body and chakras at deeper levels.

About Gayatri

Gayatri has studied yoga formally for three years, obtaining a Diploma of Yoga Teaching under the tuition of Swami Jayananda Saraswati. She has been informally studying yoga for at least 8 years, via books, workshops, conversations and through deepening awareness of her own sadhanna. Her love of yoga and her belief in its power to transform and enrich lives is her inspiration to share yoga with the world.